Fabienne Meggetto childhood cancer Eva for life
Dr Fabienne Meggetto, your team’s research work has focused on childhood lymphoma for several years. Why did you choose such a path of research?
Research on childhood and adolescent cancers is essential to treat them better, in parallel with adults, because the biology is very different. Life circumstances led me to pediatric oncology research. Indeed, my laboratory has participated in the morphological and phenotypic characterization of anaplastic large cell T-cell lymphoma mainly affecting children and young adults. At the molecular level, he identified new chromosomal translocations associated with this lymphoma. Quickly, we had to analyze our results with regard to knowledge on adult cancers. Faced with this inconsistency, I decided to focus my research work on the therapeutic resistance of pediatric forms of anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma.
Can you tell us more regarding your work and the major advances made to date?
Thanks to Eva’s first support for life, we have carried out the first deep sequencing of coding or non-coding RNAs for proteins from patient biopsies and normal T lymphocytes transformed in the laboratory into cancer cells. My research group participated in the characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma. We have demonstrated that the process of tumor transformation involves epigenetic events of the DNA methylation type, that is to say without DNA mutation. At the same time, we have shown that microRNAs are key players in resistance to chemotherapy and targeted therapy used to treat anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma. Currently, the team is exploring another microRNA regulatory pathway involving circular RNAs, another class of non-coding RNAs. Thus, thanks to funding obtained in 2021 from the Eva pour la vie association and Grandir sans cancer, we acquired a mini sequencer allowing the detection of circular RNAs. The group’s research objectives are now to dissect the role of these circular RNAs in the oncogenesis and therapeutic resistance of anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma. Since circular RNAs are very robust molecules, we will explore them in particular at the serum level with the aim of identifying predictive biomarkers of the response to treatment of anaplastic large cell T-cell lymphoma and this through a non-invasive method, a blood test.
Are you having financial or administrative difficulties in carrying out your research work? How important is Eva’s support for life and the Grandir Sans Cancer federation?
National and international funding is generally unsuitable for projects aiming to provide proof of concept. Moreover, few of them are dedicated to pediatric cancers. The support provided by the associations is therefore essential to initiate new innovative projects. This support allows us to quickly start our research to obtain the first results essential to the development of future advances.
Under the impetus of Eva pour la vie and the Grandir Sans Cancer federation, the government has released an annual fund of 5 million euros for research into childhood cancer. In addition, at the end of 2021 an amendment carried by the deputy for the North Béatrice Descamps made it possible to release an additional 20 million euros, in particular for structuring. What do you think of this commitment by the State in favor of the fight once morest pediatric cancers?
Childhood cancers are rare diseases which therefore do not interest drug manufacturers, who consider that it is a “weak” economic market compared to adult cancers. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma as such is a good example. In 1994, it was discovered that in more than 80% of cases, this pediatric cancer is associated with a chromosomal translocation involving the ALK gene. It was not until 2007 and the discovery in lung cancer of another translocation involving ALK that manufacturers became interested in it as a therapeutic target. The state cannot condone this situation.. It must fund research without quick financial returns. The State must participate in scientific advances allowing the constant improvement of the care of young patients, of diagnosis, of the therapeutic arsenal appropriate to children, without forgetting the care of caregivers and families.
Do you have any suggestions that would make it possible to accelerate research but also its transfer of the discoveries of researchers to the bedside of young patients?
Research needs funds but also researchers. If the State begins to release some funding dedicated to pediatric cancers, it must also support young researchers trained in French laboratories. Funding for salaries and job openings for young researchers is increasingly difficult to obtain. Beyond 6 years, the State does not authorize us to maintain the employment of young researchers in our laboratories, even if we have funds for their salary. How to plan for a transfer of discoveries when knowledge is no longer transmitted or perpetuated?
